History

CWA Local 1133 has approximately 2100 members in the Western New York area. We represent workers in the healthcare industry, our main employer being the Catholic Health System.

Our Office is Located at: 821 Elk St Suite A, Buffalo, NY 14210

Phone: 716-828-1133    Fax: 716-828-1158   

CWA Local 1133 History

   Due to job dissatisfaction and deteriorating working conditions, a concerned group of Registered Nurses from Mercy Hospital of Buffalo came together in August 1989 to consider organizing a union.  After speaking with several labor unions, they decided to organize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

   They felt that this union afforded them with a "voice in their workplace."  In October 1989 their efforts became public with leaflets that were distributed throughout the hospital.  As expected, the Hospital management responded with an anti-union campaign.

   The first attempt to gain representation by a union was on January 18, 1990, but it was a failed attempt.  Feeling defeated and disappointed at first, this group challenged the election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) due to the anti-union tactics that were used by the hospital administration during their campaign.  The NLRB found merit in the objections and recommended a new election be held. A new election was held on February 28, 1991, resulting in 268 yes votes to 70 no votes.  That said it all!

   While the RNs were fighting for their first contract, a group of Service, Technical, and Clerical (STC) workers, who had been helping the RNs for several months, headed the effort to organize the STC employees in the hospital.  On June 4, 1992, both RN and STC Bargaining Units signed their first contracts. 

   In 2001 Kenmore Mercy RNs joined CWA.  They had been an independent coalition for 13 years and made the decision to merge with CWA Local 1133.  This brought our membership up to 2634 members representing a variety of healthcare workers. 

The Communications Workers of America represents 661,604 workers in private and public sector employment in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. CWA members work in telecommunications and information technology, the airline industry, news media, broadcast and cable television, education, health care and public service, law enforcement, manufacturing and other fields.